Should Electronic Devices be in School?

Introduction:

            Over usage of cell phone and electronic device usage could cause sever headaches daily.

If you are then this may be a great time to cut down on your use. Cutting down the usage in school is a big step that could help those effects. Cell phone and electronic device usage is a total distraction as well as a health issue. Device used in school could be very negative because of the way the students may use it to bully others. Cell phones and devices should not be allowed in school because of the distraction of students, the health effects, and because the wide range of bullying that could take place.

Detail:

            Cell phones are a distraction at school because it prevents the student from truly understanding what is going on in the classroom. The student is so worried about what is going on his/her phone that she cannot focus. “Ringing phones, online chats, and teachers stopping the class to deal with such issues not only serves as distractions, but ultimately prevents the students from obtaining the learning they are there to get in the first place”(Dean). When students are no longer able to pay attention, this is when cell phones begin to create a big issue.

            The health effects of over usage of technology lead to severe headaches. When this happens, this could become a serious health issue in the future. “Many frequent cell phone users have complained of headaches as negative health side effect of cell phone usage”(Teenink). Although this issue that hasn’t been totally proven yet, but tons of cell phone users are beginning to have this same problem. Daily headaches are indeed bad, but it’s worse when a person can control these problems by cutting down the use. A very serious issue that is still being proven is that Cell phones could cause cancer. Some people may not believe this, but this is a possibility. According to National Cancer Institute, Cell phones give out radio waves, which is a sort of radiation. This could cause a person to truly suffer from cancer, and stopping the use in schools could cut down these harmful effects.

            One very true reason why cell phones should not be used in school is because the possibility of bullying that could take place. Bullying is known to happen in school, but when technology is involved then it will get even worse. “Some children take pictures in the bathroom and text during school periods, while some others text rumors about other kids”(Stabroeknews). This is where it all begins, and this is an example of the chain effect. The chain effect is when a student may start a problem by text a friend, and that person text someone else. This effect will keep going and going until every kid is aware of the problem. This situation is very unsettling because all of the possible outcomes that could happen to one student.

Conclusion:

            Personal cell phones and other devices should not be used in school because of negative health effects, possible-bullying outcomes, and interruption of classes. Although some devices are useful to students, the devices given to students should be from the school. Even though people believe that these electronics can benefit the students, the thought that many people have is the distractions it brings forward and how it can take away from the education. Students being able to not use devices in the classroom will benefit them in their learning environment because it will show what they really know not what they get from the internet meaning a student would really learn instead of just getting answers off the internet.

           

Reflection:

New Knowledge: There are a lot of people that are actually against using cell phones/electronics on school grounds in ways I didn’t think

Prior Knowledge: There were already discussions on the topic of should electronics be used in school and I know it was a continuing process

Clarity: How long do they plan on bringing about the discussion without having a final answer?

Overall Thoughts: I’m still kind of in the midst if electronics should be used in school because I understand both sides, but it’s a continuous thought when it comes to me.

WORKS CITED

MD, BubbiG. "What is the harm in electronics during school?." . Teenink, Emerson Media, n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2014. <http://www.teenink.com/hot_topics/letters_to_the_editor/article/115032/Whats-The-Harm-In-Electronics-During-School/>.

Dean. “Should students be allowed to use cell phones at school?”. Edubbling, 3 Nov. 2013. Web. 11 Apr. 2014. <http://www.edubabbling.com/should-students-be-allowed-to-use-cell-phones-at-school/>.

"Cell phones should not be allowed in schools." . stabroeknews, 7 July 2012. Web. 11 Apr. 2014. < www.stabroeknews.com>.

"Cell Phones and Cancer Risk." . National Cancer Institute, 24 June 2013. Web. 14 Apr. 2014. <://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/cellphones>.

Humans and Machines Merging.... Our Future.

Introduction:

Within a quarter of a century, machines will have the full range of human intellect, emotions and skills, ranging from musical and other creative features to physical movement. By around 2020 a $1,000 computer will at least match the processing power of the human brain. As this happens, there will no longer be a clear distinction between human and machine. The end result would be a new form of post human life with beings that possess qualities and skills so advanced they no longer can be classified simply as humans. By the 2030s, Kurzweil said, humans will become more non-biological than biological, capable of uploading our minds onto the Internet, living in various virtual worlds and even avoiding aging and evading death. With the merging of machines and humans, humans will be irreversibly transformed, smarter and healthier, but the disadvantage is a privacy concern (Grossman).

Details:

            Our bodies, our minds, and our civilization will be completely and irreversibly transformed. Soon enough after the merging of machines come forth, it will seem as though there won’t be much for humans to do. Experts will focus on what could be the unintended consequences of new technologies, such as super intelligent machines that, if ill-conceived, might cause the demise of Homo sapiens. Other experts are already getting ready for what they say could be a radical transformation of the human race in as little as two decades. As scientists gain deeper insights into the genetic processes that underlie life, they are able to effectively reprogram human biology through the development of new forms of gene therapies and medications capable of turning on or off enzymes and RNA interference, or gene silencing (Farrar).

With the merging of humans and machines, there come a lot of benefits. With the merging, humans will be able to be classified and viewed as smarter. Humans will be able to have the process span that machines have. So like if they need to process something it could take like a matter of two seconds, solemnly because the chip will help program them that way. Research also says that if humans were to merge with machines it will also help them improve in health. Since this technology will be advance, there will be ways that can help find studies in making health better for everyone (Farrar).

There is also an advantage in terms of making people experience life better. These chips will most likely be connected to the human’s nerve. With the chip being connected to human’s nerves it will allow them to physically be more active. So for instance let’s say that someone is obese and does not like to go out and enjoy their time, exercise. With the chip it will be able to send messages to the nerves that go to the brain and be able to “tell” the person to go out and exercise, enjoy their day. It can also help them be more aware of health scares that they can prevent with the food that they eat. This will improve their health and their weight (PBS).

There are also some disadvantages that come along with having this chip inside a human, connected to them. Some people believe that having a chip inside of them means that their privacy is 100 percent gone. With all the technology that is in the world today, it is so easy for the government to get a hold of someone and track their every move. So with a chip inside a human, physically connected to them, it’s like the government will always track you down. There is completely no privacy because the government will always be watching you (PBS). 

Conclusion:

            Within a quarter of a century, machines will have the full range of human intellect, emotions and skills, ranging from musical and other creative features to physical movement. Our bodies, our minds, and our civilization will be completely and irreversibly transformed. Research also says that if humans were to merge with machines it will also help them improve in health. With the chip being connected to human’s nerves it will allow them to physically be more active. There are also some disadvantages that come along with having this chip inside a human, connected to them. There is completely no privacy because the government will always be watching you (Farrar).

Reflection:

New Knowledge: They plan on merging human and machines by the year of 2020

Prior Knowledge: People had the ideas of merging such things as humans and machines already

Clarity: How exactly do they plan on having everyone merge and connected to a chip?

Overall thoughts: I think they shouldn’t do it but if it can improve health and benefit the people then they should

Work Cited

Grossman, Lev. "2045: The Year Man Becomes Immortal." Time. Time Inc., 10 Feb. 2011. Web. 21 Mar. 2014.

-  http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2048299,00.html

Farrar, Lara. "Scientist: Humans and Machines Will Merge in Future." CNN. Cable News Network, n.d. Web. 25 Mar. 2014.

- http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/07/15/bio.tech/index.html?eref=rss_tech_

“As Humans and Computers Merge … Immortality?" PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 26 Mar. 2014.

- http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/business-july-dec12-immortal_07-10/

Janellis C